Archive for the 'Sports' Category

Chelsea : There’s Only One Drog At The Bridge

Published on May 20, 2012 in Sports. 0 Comments
Didier Drogba
Didier Drogba

There’s only one Drog at the Bridge, the whole of England actually. No other team has a striker so reliant that you can just will him to score and he will. And you don’t have to go through all the foreplay of passing the ball around in the midfield. Everything works for him – loft it to him directly from the goal kick, cross the ball for him, play a cutting pass through the defenders – he’s always there to collect the ball. His strength and precision makes him a defender’s nightmare. The man is Didier Drogba!

He’s been the man of big moments for Chelsea these last couple of months. He’s started every decisive match. He’s always been there for Chelsea – playing the hit man looking for goals or being the actor to break the oppositions flow and get a much deserved rest for his teammates. And he’s scored in both the finals this year.

And this is exactly why I feel a tinge of guilt about being so happy on signing Torres. I was one of the joyful people who thought we had replaced Drogba. I had even wanted Drogba out last summer so that Torres can finally take the center stage. But it is at times like these that prove we had the best striker of the English Premier League all the time. Torres’ goals and pretty play at Liverpool count for nothing against what the legendary Drogba has done at Chelsea. I am not maligning Torres – I love him and know he’ll come good for us, it’s just that I feel guilty of thinking he was eons ahead of Drogba. Well, one thing is for sure – no one can replace Drogba from the legends of Chelsea. You just cannot find another man in his mold with the same passion and dedication for the club.

With Drogba’s contract over, the million dollar question is – Will Drogba sign a new contract at Chelsea? Will Drogba leave? Should Drogba leave? Should Drogba be given the 2 year contract he so desires?

Alas all good things must come to an end. As Harvey Dent said

You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.

Drogba has conquered all at Stamford Bridge – the premier league titles, the Carling cup, the FA cup and now the Champions League. He has nothing to prove to anyone anymore. He’ll forever be loved by all the Chelsea fans and respected by the neutrals. And he literally won the Champions League for Chelsea. But his league form had been terrible. He’s gotten older and has slowed down. He cannot help us in the league anymore. He’s become a man for the big occasions now. He gets all charged up and energized for one game. You cannot expect him to play this way a whole year. And I do not think being a bit-part bench player would be acceptable for him. He is a legend, he deserves respect. And this is why I feel this is the right time to call it quits on his Chelsea adventure. He can walk out with his head held high on his own terms.

I realize that letting Drogba leave could backfire disastrously. Andrea Pirlo is the best example – left by Milan he won the scudetto for Juventus. But I think that letting go of Drogba now would be the best thing to do. Roman wants a change in style of play to one that does not suit Drogba. It’s better for him to leave now as the European Champion than endear a possibly frustrating campaign trying to adapt to a completely new system.

The Chelsea management have got some pretty tough decisions to make this summer. It makes me anxious. I want the suspense of summer to be over. I want to know how this story ends and I want to dream of the beginning of a new season at the Bridge. If only I could close my eyes and drift off into a month long hibernation.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Chelsea: Do I Want Di Matteo To Stay?

Published on April 5, 2012 in Sports. 0 Comments

Honest to god answer – No. But do I believe Chelsea can find a better manager with no Champions League – Probably not.

Don’t get me wrong. Di Matteo has done a fantastic job since taking over from Villas Boas. This Chelsea team had been written off by one and all. Napoli players knew that they were into the next round even before visiting the Stamford Bridge. It’s a testament to the our interim Italian manager that he brought together a divided dressing room to produce a brilliant display in front of the home crowd. Chelsea fans will be hard pressed to find a more emotional and charged atmosphere than the second leg victory against Napoli.

Chelsea flag

Amazing as the start has been to Matteo’s managerial stint at Chelsea, the spark is still missing. One notable difference between Villas Boas and Matteo’s side is the change in formation from 4-3-3 to 4-5-1. The biggest loser from this change is Sturridge and the biggest gainer being Kalou. Let’s not get into that though.

Villas Boas tried to create a Chelsea team that attacks with flair. This required a high line of defense and lot of pressing. Chelsea got off to a great start in the Premier League. It was not soon enough when the opposition team started to realize that the Chelsea players were not suited to the high line tactics. Villas Boas reluctance to change his style eventually cost him his job.

Di Matteo has decided to pack his mid field and play with a lone striker. Luckily for him Torres has begun finding his feet and Matteo can make the simple decision of playing Torres ahead of Drogba – which must be pleasing Roman as well. But when you play with 5 in the middle you are expected to retain possession for majority of the game. Stats paint a completely different picture. Only against Stoke at home did Chelsea have like 70% possession. Other games we have been chasing mostly with around 47% possession. Villas Boas side almost always managed a 60% possession even with just 3 midfielders! This could mean only one thing – Di Matteo has set up his side to play defensively. Chelsea don’t care about possession play any more, they just want to sit tight and attack on the break. This also explains why Matteo prefers Meirless and Kalou over the tired, slow legs of Lampard and Malouda.

Now I don’t have much problem with a counter attacking setup. The German national team played the whole World Cup 2010 with that philosophy and no one can complain that the German games were boring. They were high energy exciting games! Napoli, that caught the eye of Europe this season, have been setup to play counter attacking game and even they are an exciting sight to watch. Chelsea on the other hand fail to convince. They are too slow – even when counter attacking. Most of the times the Chelsea midfielders run out of ideas after reaching the final third and instead of playing a defense-splitting pass to release the striker they just play the ball back to their safest player.

Di Matteo has been effective but not interesting or exciting. Chelsea have gone back to being boring and this is not what Roman desires – nor do I. One could argue that Matteo is doing the best with what he has and if given a chance to create a new team during the summers then he could turn around Chelsea fortunes. But the argument isn’t as convincing as one might want to believe.

The biggest problem that Chelsea will have to deal with this summer is attracting exciting players. They either need the Champions League or a charismatic manager. Champions league qualification looks more and more unlikely as the days pass by. So to finally bring about the transition that we’ve been talking about for a year not we would need a coach with lots of klout – someone players will want to play for – a man with reputation.But then without the lure of Champions League would a manager be willing to take up the high-profile high-risk job of Roman’s empire?

It’ll be unfair to Di Matteo after his inspiring work in these few weeks. But being realistic and without meaning any disrespect to him, I do not believe that he’ll remain as our manager the next season. The only reason I could perhaps want him to stay will be his love for the club. In fact, getting Zola as the manager could perhaps be the best solution. He’s a legend at Stamford Bridge. He could be to Chelsea what Pep has been to Barcelona. But after the spectacular failure of the young Villas Boas do I really believe Roman will go for another not-so-experienced coach again – naah.There are quite a few big names being talked about.

Patience is the key. I’m already looking forwards to the next season with a hope that nothing can be worse than the year that has just passed. Just when you think Chelsea can get out of the miserable form they pull you back in!

Popularity: 2% [?]

Chelsea: Torres and Sturridge Neighbors In Dressing Room!

Published on March 24, 2012 in Sports. 0 Comments
Chelsea Dressing Room

Chelsea Dressing Room

In the Chelsea dressing room, players are allowed to choose their neighbors. Earlier they were seated by their jersey numbers. Now I don’t recall when this change happened but I remember it was because Terry wanted to sit beside someone else. But that is a completely different matter.

Well, now the above arrangement in the Chelsea dressing room surprises me. It’s kind of ironic that Torres and Sturridge sit beside each other, what with Sturridge completely blanking out Torres in the games. Neighborly love hasn’t yet rubbed on eh?

Source of pic: @chelseafc

Popularity: 4% [?]

EPL: Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur – March 2012

Published on March 24, 2012 in Sports. 0 Comments

No one needs to be reminded about how massive a game this is for both the clubs. A month ago Spurs were flying high in their third place, comfortably ahead of Arsenal. But all that England manager talk seems to have gotten to them and now they are fourth with just 5 more better than Chelsea. If Chelsea were to win today this fight for the final Champions League birth will go right to the end!

Last weeks defeat at the hands of Manchester City coupled with Spurs somehow drawing their match leaves Chelsea with a must-win scenario. 5 points towards the end of the season is too much to make up and a win is absolutely must if we want to qualify for the Champions League. The FA Cup and the Champions League games coming up don’t make life any easier as Di Matteo must take care of player energy levels and rotate the squad. Arsenal and Tottenham do not have this problem – and I don’t envy them for this luxury.

I will be watching the game nervously, hoping for a Chelsea victory. Let’s pile more pressure on Spurs. We know they can crack under pressure and yield us that qualifying spot.

Popularity: 1% [?]

EPL: Manchester City vs Chelsea – March 2012

Published on March 19, 2012 in Sports. 0 Comments

We have yet another blockbuster coming our way. We travel to the Etihad stadium to face the wounded Manchester City who we defeated 2-1 at home earlier in December. Remember that game when the high flying blue side of Manchester visited a frail Chelsea? That was a sweet victory. We were the first team in this season to defeat Manchester City! Now it’s time to inflict their first home defeat in the premier league. Are we ready? Hell yea – more than we have ever been this whole season.

We have strung together a streak of 4 wins scoring 12 and allowing only 3 in the process. Torres is finding his feet once again and the Old Guard are back to their dominating best. Manchester City on the other hand have just crashed out of the European competition – that’s twice in two months actually – and were also defeated by Swansea City. They are also under tremendous pressure with Manchester United having taken a 4 point lead yesterday. After having spent so much in the summer – a British record – a trophy-less season will be a disaster for Mancini.

Quick Fact: Last time a club smashed the British summer spending record they went on to win the Premier League two consecutive seasons. That was Chelsea of course.

The biggest headache for RDM will be his team selection. Chelsea has mostly played in the 4-3-3 formation. But with Torres and Drogba both showing good form there is a possibility to pair them up at the front. RDM has tried that in the Napoli game towards the end and one wouldn’t call that a disaster.  Also Mata has been playing centrally just behind the strikers the last two games. Has RDM been preparing his team for the coming fixture? Below is the team I would like to see walk out on Wednesday.

football formations

C’mon. Admit it. Every Chelsea fan wants to see the pairing of Drogba and Torres flourish. Add the cunning Mata behind them and you’ve got yourself an entertainment. The only problem with having Mata in the center is that when Chelsea attack through the flanks he becomes useless. Ivanovich has been something like a revelation. The way he’s attacking the right flank and sending across those crosses is amazing. We do need the hard working Ramires in the team. His energy keeps our otherwise static midfield on their toes. Lampard over Meirless is a no brainer. And the tidy Essien should sit in front of the defense. When Essien’s in the mood, and given the Bison that he is nicknamed, he keeps the ball well and helps breakdown opposition attacks.

For me Mata behind the strikers is the key. But he’ll have to deal with the physical presence of Yaya Toure. I’m hoping for another great game of football and keeping my fingers crossed for a Chelsea victory.

Popularity: 2% [?]

FA Cup: Chelsea vs Leicester City – March 2012 – Reaction

Published on March 18, 2012 in Sports. 0 Comments

Fernando Torres

Torres! Torres! Torres! Torres!

There was only one name ringing at the Stamford Bridge today. The one person we’ve desperately willed to score goals for us put two in the net. More importantly it was his attitude, work rate and the desire that has got us all excited and dreaming. The man picked up from where he left off at Napoli. He was brilliant during the initial stages of the game. He was enthusiastic and you tell that this guy wanted goals. A few weeks ago after having left Torres out of the Spain squad for a friendly Vicente del Bosque declared that he could yet take Torres to the Euros given the striker does well at Chelsea. This and a change in management seems to have sparked the old Torres into action. If he keeps on going like this we’ll certainly see him score a few at the Euro, hopefully not against Germany.

But not all was good about the Chelsea play today. Midfield was pathetic! Mikel has never impressed me as a holding midfielder. He gives the ball away too easily. And when he’s not doing that he can be seen passing the ball back to his defenders. He slows the game down. Well, actually most of the Chelsea players tend to do that. They keep the ball too long and make silly passes under pressure. I thought with Essien coming on we would have more possession. But today even Essien was sloppy. Even under pressure he was trying to dribble the ball instead of passing it on. Chelsea was poor in the middle. Meirless also did not help calm down things as Leicester discovered attacks after attacks on Chelsea goal.

But the biggest sticking point was Sturridge’s attitude. Agreed strikers are selfish and in-form ones are even more so. But there’s a line between being selfish and stupid. The guy tried to shoot even when he had no chance and there were players better positioned than him. Had he not been this selfish he could have setup Torres for another couple of plum goals. It is understandable that he is fighting for his position – actually for the central strikers position, but does he not understand that by being this wasteful he might get overlooked? He needs to improve this aspect of his game. Drogba does it, Torres does it, Lampard does it, then why can Sturridge not be happy with assists where it makes sense? But the guy has got talent and raw pace. I’d still select him over Kalou for the match against Manchester City on Wednesday.

Ah the next match! Roberto Di Matteo will be scratching his head over who to leave out of Drogba and Torres. Drogba was majestic against Napoli and Torres was classic today. It’s a happy situation to be in for a manager. Poor guy AVB never had this luxury. Or could RDM go with both Drogba and Torres and play Mata behind them? Roberto Mancini will have to prepare for a lot of possible permutations and combinations now.

Mata needs a special mention. The guy is getting better by the game. Lookout for him the next season. He’ll be just as good as David Silva, if not better. Mata roams around the ground. He must be pretty tough to mark. Bringing this guy in the summer was perhaps the best thing that AVB has done for Chelsea.

I wish Chelsea the best of luck and hope we get to watch just as intense a match as these two on Wednesday against Manchester City who’ll already be under pressure with Manchester United having gone 4 clear at the top.

Popularity: 2% [?]

FA Cup: Chelsea vs Leicester City – March 2012

Published on March 18, 2012 in Sports. 0 Comments

It’s the quarter final game in the FA Cup this weekend for Chelsea. Given the conditions and upcoming fixtures I would rather like to see the more important players rested and the fringe ones given a chance today. This should be an easier game than the Birmingham City one.

We played 120 minutes of intense football against Napoli this past week which must have left many of the players exhausted. It makes sense to rest Luiz and being Cahill in Luiz was limping at the end of the game. Also Ashley Cole should be left out of this one and Ryan Bertrand should get a nod. We need Cole in full fitness this Wednesday when we take on Manchester City in the Etihad Stadium. Lampard played the full 120 minutes in the midfield and could be rested today. I would like to see Romeu slot back in the midfield.

Also Torres should replace Drogba in the starting line up. However, RDM could try out the 4-4-2 formation today. Drogba and Torres played as 2 strikers against Napoli towards the end with Mata just behind them. And Torres was sharp and eager. We should give that formation yet another shot. Last year when Torres was brought into the team that is what everyone desired for – a Torres in form paired with the beast of Drogba. They’ll still make the best striking combination in the premier league.

Popularity: 1% [?]

UCL: Chelsea vs Napoli – March 2012 – Reaction

Published on March 15, 2012 in Sports. 0 Comments

Right from the onset, this match was all about the Old Guard. Since the day AVB was fired all the focus has been the Old Guard and player power at Chelsea. Even I had doubts (and still have) over the longevity of our senior players. We’ve badly needed younger more attacking players for long time now. But after the recent results one has to admit that perhaps AVB got his man management all wrong.

AVB tried to alienate himself from the Old Guard and that was his biggest mistake. The group of players – Terry, Drogba, Lampard, Cech – have been the backbone and the spirit of Chelsea in recent years. Their passion and drive to win games for the club is what inspires players around them to give their all. Under AVB that had been missing.

Look at Arsenal. For all their pretty play they still fail to win matches. Leadership qualities is missing in them and Chelsea have more than their fair share in Terry, Drogba and Lampard. You could tell Drogba was in mood for goals yesterday. He got the fans behind the team by waving them and egging them on. Terry also showed his love for the club after his header sent Chelsea 2-0 up. Lampard always maintains his composure. When Lampard lined up for the penalty you couldn’t have said Chelsea were in trouble. Mata had taken the last two penalties before this game and had missed both. But there was no doubting Lampard last night. These players know how to perform when under pressure. It’s their experience, desire and passion that saw Chelsea through to the quater finals.

I wish that Drogba and Lampard stay on beyond the summer and retire as Chelsea legends. But they also need to realize that they’ll probably get lesser playing time with each passing year. I hope that they can accept and adapt to a Giggs like role when required of them.  The harsh reality is that we need to look for their replacements and blood them to have the same passion and desire that our Old Guard have. They’ve been tremendous for the team.

Popularity: 1% [?]

EPL: West Brom vs Chelsea – Feb 2012 – Reaction

Published on March 3, 2012 in Sports. 0 Comments

It has become so an agonizing experience watching Chelsea play of late. They have to labour to find a goal even against the relegation troubled teams. And it has become even more tougher for them to keep a clean sheet. Cech dives and throws his body around everywhere and yet he can only do so much.

Another loss. Once again I refuse to lay the blame on the manager. A manager can only come up with tactics, it’s up to the players to improvise on it. There’s not one player, except perhaps Cech, who played for the team today. Let’s look at our team for the match.

Drogba hardly did anything on the ground. But that has been true of all our strikers. If one were to analyse why our strikers have become so useless then the answer is easy to see – below par midfield performance. More on them later. What about Sturridge. The guy speaks and speaks off the pitch. He wants the central striker role and yet he fluffs the simplest of chances. Ignore his selfishness, even when presented the ball with only the keeper to beat Sturridge fails. And he is the second highest scorer for Chelsea this season – speaks about the difficulties they’ve had in the final third. Mata tried and tried but always pulled wide. I do not remember him having any shot on goal.

In the midfield we had the legendary Lampard and the Bison Essien. What did Lampard state in the midweek? “I am fine being on the bench but if I am on the bench I would like to see Chelsea win. Otherwise I question the decision of putting me on the bench”. I like the player and his atitude, but he’s no longer the same Super Frank. Chelsea midfield was easily run over by West Brom. Essien had little effect on the game. Chelsea lost the battle there. Whenever they got the ball they tried to play long balls because when they tried the midfield route their midfielders were easily robbed off the ball. So Chelsea ended up playing in their defensive third for majority of the 90 minutes. Ramires, like Walcott, knows only one thing – to run and run and run. COming back from an injury he was cautious and did not do his job.

Your defense can only hold together for so long. Battered throughout the game from West Brom was something the back four must not have expected. Ashley Cole was awful. He only made one intervention in the whole game – only one! Rest of the time he was just running around without any clue as to what was happening. Ivanovich was dependable but Luiz and Cahill as usual lived on the edge. Cech was amazing today. He was the only reason why Chelsea could have deserved a clean sheet today.

Bottom line, the players have lost the will to play for Chelsea. Whatever politics is happening in the dressing room is tearing this team apart. AVB is only a victim in this situation. At one point of time this just had to happen. We’ve persisted with old under-performing players for a long time now. Remember how Scholari was ousted because he tried to change the system at the club? It’s the same again. The only difference is that Roman has supported AVB till now. But one would indeed be a fool to take it for granted that he’ll stay at Chelsea after such woeful performances by the team.

So this is where I think the Chelsea management should come out and speak about support to AVB in public. I understand that Champions League qualification is doubtful this year, but we had to go through this pain when getting rid of half our squad. Roman has been at fault from the beginning. His tactics have caused managers to be short sighted. Better players should have been eased into Chelsea long ago. Instead we just relied on the bigger egos to keep a sinking ship afloat. A public backing should go a long way to help AVB regain the authority he deserves in the team.

I absolutely support AVB. He should be given the chance to stay on after the summer. He should be given the license to trim the squad as he sees fit – even if it means getting rid of Drogba and Lampard. SAF let Ronaldo go in his prime. He removed Beckham from the squad even when he had more than just a couple of years in him. This is the kind of authority and backing that AVB deserves.

I really hope Roman doesn’t do his usual short-sighted mistake again. He needs to put his money on AVB and support the manager through and through. A person doesn’t win four trophies going the whole season unbeaten without any technical brain. The man needs to be backed. It’s the egos in the dressing room who need to be fired.

Popularity: 1% [?]

EPL: Chelsea vs Manchester United – Feb 2012 – Reaction

Published on February 6, 2012 in Sports. 0 Comments

I am utterly devastated. Being 3-0 up in 50 minutes one is expected to win. Chelsea’s incapability to hold on to a 3 goal lead has been the story of their campaign so far. This is 2 crucial points lost for us. Now even the 3rd position seems unachievable. Maybe we should try and fight for that last Champions League position.

Positives from the match, if any? Well, playing a game without John Terry, Ashley Cole, Frank Lampard, Didier Drogba and Ramires (who has become very important to Chelsea this year) one would not have expected Chelsea to even manage a draw. Man Utd were boosted by the return of Rooney and Young. It was an uneven contest. Even before the start I was prepared for a defeat. It’s just that when you go 3 up you expect to win – always.

For all the Man Utd fans singing and dancing out there, let me ask you one question. I have already mentioned that ours was a depleted team. Are you really happy that you managed to get a point from a depleted side? Doesn’t seem like the objectives a Champion team would have. Also you might want to check the recent statistics. 4 of the last 5 goals that ManU have scored were penalties! What can anyone do if the association of referees want Man Utd to win – hook or by crook. With a little level headedness and humility go watch the second penalty decision. You’ll be ashamed to celebrate such goals.

In all fairness, I do not think we played well today, but we did deserve 3 points. The inconsistencies has already cost us a shot at the title, I’m afraid it might cost us Champions League as well. Draws are not good enough for us, we need to start winning again.

Popularity: 1% [?]